Performance Trade-offs in RF Design: A Comprehensive Analysis of Double Balanced Gilbert Cell Mixer

Abstract

Designers of RF (Radio Frequency) circuits must exercise caution throughout the different phases of system design. Prior to implementation, a comprehensive examination of trade-offs inherent in RF system design, encompassing factors such as power, supply voltage, noise, linearity, gain, and frequency considerations, is essential. This paper delves into a simulation-based analysis using Advanced Design Systems (ADS), exploring various parameter combinations to grasp their impact on overall system performance. Focusing on a critical component, the RF mixer, in the receiver front end, evaluation is conducted across different VLSI (Very Large-Scale Integration) process nodes and design parameters to comprehend the relationship between numerous performance metrics including conversion gain, noise figure, third order intercepts, and compression points. The insights garnered from this study offer strategies to enhance RF design parameters to achieve desired performance characteristics.